Playing With The Pieces
by DementedStuffing
Summary: A mysterious new enemy by the name of Queen Darukurura has declared war on the Hylian Kingdom. Zelda, still shaken from the last time Hyrule was in danger, is now a target for assassination. Forced to escape Hyrule, she must search for new allies to help defeat this new menace. Little does she know that she will find such allies in a group of mercenaries.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"So I assume that this is where we part paths?" Zelda asked, looking at the hero with a sad smile. Link gulped and nodded, his palms sweating as the princess dismounted Epona. "I-I guess so." He told her, giving her an equal smile. Despite acting so elegant in appearance, the Princess of Hyrule was a very nice and humble person. She looked at him with her big teal eyes and then stared at what was left of Hyrule Castle.

"It'll be repaired." Link told her. Zelda looked up, her thick brown hair falling in strands over her eyes. A quizzical expression showed on her face. "How did you know that's what I was thinking?" The princess asked. The goat herder shrugged. "Because. Broken things are meant to be fixed." He said, then started turning around on his horse. "I hope that one day, we could see eachother sometime, Your Highness."

As the Ordonian galloped off into the sunset, Zelda stared back at the ruins of her once beautiful castle. She would be staying in a house near Lake Hylia for now, but she wanted to see her home before she went. She pondered the thoughts of how long it would take before she could walk the castle halls again and get lost trying to count the rooms. Link's words, however, strangely left an impact on her. Maybe Hyrule Castle wasn't the only thing that was broken here.


	2. Chapter 1: A Warning To The People

Chapter 1: A Warning To The People

"Well, here is another year to 'It can't get any fucking better.'" Impa swore from across the empty grand table. Zelda slightly laughed, watching the Sheikah girl down a glass of blood red wine. A large cake with nineteen candles sat in the center of the table, begging for someone to blow the tiny flames out. Sugar triforces were decorating the layers, and the words "Happy Birthday, Princess Zelda" were written on top in pale purple icing.

"I can't believe it's only been a year." Zelda stated, staring blankly at the ground. Impa shrugged. "Time moves by fast. I'm surprised the castle has been stable again for only two months." What the silver-haired girl had said was indeed true. Old paintings that were happily restored hung on the walls, the most recent one being of the princess herself. Zelda frowned at her own demeanor in that portrait. Her expression was entirely blank, lifeless eyes staring and following whoever was near. She looked...cold. Heartless, even. And that must have been what Link had thought of her. She barely knew the hero, and when they did meet, she didn't even smile until they left. She wondered if that was all Hyrule saw. Unlike some of her previous ancestors, notably the one from the era of the Hero of Time, this Zelda wasn't as good with people. She was nervous giving out verbal speeches and in crowds, and while she loved to meet her subjects, she wasn't very fond of being noticed and constantly reminded of her role as Hyrule's monarch. That was why she chose to keep the title of 'Princess Zelda IV' instead of 'Queen Zelda IV'. 'Queen' was too regal. It was bad enough that the girl had to constantly carry around her title of 'the fourth' with her. She didn't like to constantly be pampered, as elegant and polite as she acted in front of people.

Impa looked up at her friend and mistress from her end of the table. She caught the brunette staring at her wine glass, swirling around the liquid with an ungloved finger. "Hey, are you alright, Zel?" She asked. Zelda looked up, caught off guard. "Oh, I'm sorry, Impa..." She apologized, wiping her finger on a napkin and gloving her hand again. She was lucky, today her gloves only went to her wrists. They normally went up to just below her armpits, and they were quite a pain to take off. Her chestnut hair had been pulled back in a tight bun, She was also wearing an uncomfortable dark pink dress, being a little puffy and falling to her ankles. It didn't help that she had to wear a rib-crushing corset under it, feeling as her lungs were going to pop out of her throat at any given moment. Not to mention, she was not a big fan of pink. It was way too overused, it was extremely girly, cliche for a princess, and she liked purple a lot more. She was amazed that her ancestors put up with the color for so long, as she was the first princess to actually don purple.

"You just look like you don't want to be here." Impa pointed out as Zelda dusted herself off. "You should be happy." The Sheikah then smiled, raising her wine glass. "It's your nineteenth birthday! Make merry!" The princess' eyes averted from her glass to Impa again, and she gave the girl a fake smile. "I am happy, Impa. I am just uncomfortable." She admitted, shifting in her seat. Impa then chuckled strangely. "Don't worry, Zel, I actually hate that dress too. And were you forced to wear heels again?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Zelda slowly nodded. She hated heels. They put her ankles in jeopardy and made her feet ache like a Goron's ingrown toenail. Impa then laughed. "Poor girl." She responded, and stood up. She then held out a tan hand to her friend with a smile. "C'mon, I'll put you in more tolerant clothes."

Impa was a wizard at knowing the Princess of Hyrule. She had dressed the young girl her favorite dress, being a purple upper half with a white bottom half. Zelda's hair was now pulled back loosely, the furthest strands to the front being tied in two bandaged braids. The crown had stayed the same, only there was a clip in the back, and Zelda now wore a pair of comfy brown boots. She then smiled at Impa kindly. "Thank you, Impa." She said, with a slight bow. Despite Zelda's normal distaste for behaving so princessly, she did not mind being polite. In fact, she was always polite. It was how she was raised. The Sheikah grinned and patted her best friend on the shoulder lightly. "Hey, don't thank me. What are best friends for?" She asked, and the princess laughed lightly. "Do you remember when we were children and we used to put on eachother's clothes, then pretended to be eachother?" Zelda asked, sitting on her bed. Impa grinned, replying, "That was always my favorite game." She took the discarded pink balloon dress from earlier and pretended to wear it, twirling around. "'Oh, look at me, I am Princess Zelda and I hate being a princess! I want to live my life like a normal country girl because I am so shy and I didn't even talk to the Hero of Twilight because he was so Hunky-Hunky, ohhhh~!'" Zelda rolled her eyes. "I do not talk like that." She responded with a slight chuckle. "Despite popular belief, I do not talk like a giggily school girl." Impa shrugged with a laugh. "Sorry, I'm just pretending to whine." Zelda decided that this would be the time for retaliation. She plucked Impa's purple vest off of her body (along with the dark blue scarf) and draped it over her body. "Oh, well I'm Impa, Royal Bodyguard to Princess Zelda IV and I'm a punk. I'm pretend I'm so powerful but I can't even talk to a guy without getting flustered." She imitated, making her voice sound slightly deeper. Impa rolled her eyes, giving the princess a fake glare. "If you weren't my best friend, AND the Princess of Hyrule, I would smack you." Zelda gave Impa her clothes back and stuck out her tongue. "I dare you to try." There was a strange silence, until Impa lightly hit Zelda on the arm. It was a sissy move, but the girls then started to laugh like psychopaths. This was normal for them. They loved stupid humor. A positive feeling filled the room, and every single burden on Zelda's body seemed to lift. But then there was a knock on the door.

"Your Highness." A guard called, opening the door. There were beads of sweat on his forehead, as he looked rather nervous. "I hate to interrupt such a party, but there is something that you must see." He said. Zelda sighed and walked to him. "Yes?" She asked. The guard gulped, ushering Zelda to follow him. Impa, on instict, also followed.

On her birthday, Zelda didn't expect to reach a place such as the Senate Hall. She recognized a few officials from there, which meant that this was important. Prince Ralis and Darbus looked towards her, smiling. Their worried looks, however, didn't help much. A few guards stood around Zelda's throne menacingly. Impa took the place right beside it, where she always stood. The princess gulped. She slowly walked up to the throne and sat down, rubbing her arm in anxiety.

Prince Ralis was the first to stand up. Surprisingly, he was more confident than Zelda was. "The Zora had a received a letter a few days ago that threatened to bomb our whole village if we did not cooperate with the sender's rules." He explained. Zelda leaned forward. "And what were the rules?" She intently asked. Ralis sighed. "The rules were to cut off all communication with the Hylian Kingdom. No talking, no assistance, zip." He shifted his weight and sat back down. Darbus then stood up. "Last night, Gor Coron was attacked as well. We believed it was an assassination attempt on all of the Goron Elders." "Were there any letters or signs of messages?" Impa asked with a skeptic brow. Darbus shook his head and sat.

The Hylian general stepped forward. "Then we received this." He told her, holding out a scroll. It was of a light grey parchment, with a black string tied around it. Zelda had not seen anything like this before. She hesitantly took the scroll and opened it. Her eyes carefully studied the paper, taking in every word like it was the last thing she was able to read. The whole room, with even loud ones such as Darbus and Impa, was as silent. If it were to happen, everybody could hear even a pin drop.

"...It's a declaration of war." Zelda finally announced, holding back the tears in her eyes. Hyrule's last war was before even the Hero of Time's era. She couldn't believe what she was reading. "It is from somebody by the name of Queen Darukurura." Impa looked at her. "Anybody we know?" She asked, and the ruler of Hyrule shook her head. "We need to act quick. Prepare your men for battle and start the hunt for whoever this hag is!" Darbus shouted, standing up. Three quarters of the people in the room cheered along with him, but Ralis stood up. "No, no, no. We need to be calm. War won't solve anything; maybe we should just wait and let them see what we are going to do. They're going to expect us to try to attack. They're going to think that we are simple minded." The Zora calmly stated. Darbus gritted his teeth, getting in the young boy's face. "Are you saying that we need to let ourselves be attacked?! You pretty much just explained that we need to let ourselves get killed!" He snapped. Ralis furrowed his brow. "I did not say that at all! I'm saying that we shouldn't waste our time and become putty in the opposing side's hands!" He fought back. The two males were neck and neck. "I'm beginning to think that you and your little fish race is behind this! You could be the one plotting to destroy the whole of Hyrule and take it for yourself!" "Are you questioning the Zora's loyalty to the Royal Family of Hyrule?!" "Yes, I am!" "Then you go put your army in danger while I lead mine to figure this out the smart way!"

The bickering of the Zora and Goron leaders was enough to make even the calmest mind explode. Zelda had already exited the room and slunk down on the wall. Impa had followed. "Well, happy nineteenth birthday." The Sheikah sarcastically stated, sitting next to her best friend. The clay beads in her silvery hair clatted as she sat down. "What are we going to do, Impa?" Zelda asked, in between silent sobs. Zelda's bodyguard sighed. "We need something powerful." She responded. "Doesn't every country or kingdom or something have a last resort or secret weapon?" The princess' teal eyes suddenly sparkled and she looked up.

"I...I have an idea."

_"A warning to the people_

_The good and the evil_

_This_

_is_

_war"_

_~Thirty Seconds to Mars, __**This Is War**_

A/N: If you're wondering why Zelda is acting like this, it is my own characterization for the TP incarnation of Zelda. We don't get to see much of Zelda in Twilight Princess, as sad as it is, so we don't know what her personality is like. I picture this Zelda being quite shy and nervous, not comfortable as a princess most of the time, but when she is out of the castle, she can be the true confident fighter she really is. She's basically a girl that is shaken up from the desire to break out of the castle, and wishes to break free. The only impression that we get from Zelda in the actual game is serious, wise, but if you look at her concept and a few in-game expressions, she just looks...cold. And I don't want that. This fanfic is going to help her break out of her shell.


	3. Chapter 2: When People Run In Circles

Chapter 2: When People Run In Circles

"Please, Your Highness. Let me go, I insist." The captain of the guard pleaded as Zelda quickly mounted her most precious horse, Lucille. She then slowly shook her head. "I am sorry, Captain Uragimo, but I'm afraid that the mission I am going on includes only my bodyguard and I." The princess explained. The captain furrowed his brow. "I cannot risk you going by yourself and getting hurt, princess. It is my duty to you and the Royal Family of Hyrule that I will protect this kingdom until it crumbles." "Your assistance is not needed here." Zelda finally responded, getting visibly irritated. "You will probably be needed elsewhere, Captain." When Impa mounted onto the other horse, Konpanion, the two were off. Uragimo glared at the fading images of Hyrule's princess, clearly unhappy. "Wretched girl, she thinks that she can defend herself only with the Blood Eyed One around." He muttered, turning around and heading back into Castle Town.

"Ahhh, I feel so freeeee!" Impa exclaimed, racing her horse in the direction of the Ordona Province. Zelda rolled her eyes, not necessarily in the mood to admire her newfound freedom. This was a matter of life and death. War was not a thing to mess around with. They were on limited time with the weight of a million on their shoulders, and here was Impa, acting like a total fool. The princess sighed. "Please, do focus, Impa." She pleaded quietly, still galloping and holding onto Lucille tightly. Impa stuck her tongue out at her best friend and mistress, trying to enjoy the time that she was having out of the castle. "Well, excuse me for being happy that I'm not cooped up in that Hyrule Dungeon." She teased. Zelda didn't respond, her eyes set on the image in front of her. "We're going to be there soon. Please, don't try to mess around to much once we set foot in Ordon Village." She then instructed. Impa crossed her arms as her horse slowed down to cross the bridge. "Fine, as long as I'm allowed to get a slingshot. I really want a slingshot." She childishly groaned with a pout.

Zelda had never even once visited Ordon Village. She had only been to Castle Town and Kakariko Village in her whole lifetime, and once to Zora's Domain when she was a little girl, watching her father attend a meeting. It was small and quaint, having a very cozy type of atmosphere. Apart from the fact that a few people seemed to stare when she entered the village, people were going on with their usual business. A young girl was seeming to scold two boys, one counting a large amount of rupees in an unusually big wallet for a child and another playing with a stick like it was a mighty sword. A woman was cradling her baby while a young blonde boy followed her with groceries. She liked the feeling the town set, as it was little but very positive. It was no wonder that Link liked it here.

"Your Highness?!" A deep male voice called as Zelda dismounted her horse. She took the hood off of her dirt brown cloak and nodded, seeing an overweight balding man run towards her. She recognized him from a few festivals in Castle Town. "Mayor Bo." She responded with a bow. "What a pleasure it is to meet you." The mayor bowed as well, however very nervously. "W-What brings you to our town? Did you come to select a goat for a royal banquet or did you come to meet Malo from Malo Mar-" Bo went off to many different directions as to why the princess would want to visit the small town. However, Zelda held up a calm hand to politely cut him off. "I actually came to visit Link." She told him, her eyes looking for assistance. "Do you know where he might be?" She then asked. The Ordonian suddenly stiffened. "Link..." He said, almost distraught. His tone seemed a little sad. "Link hasn't been to Ordon in...in a very long while. It'll be a year tomorrow."

The princess' eyes widened slightly. "W-What?!" "That was what I said when I heard the news. When Link came back, he told us that he had been on a wild adventure, an adventure that saved Hyrule and our home. Of course, Hyrule was never in real danger so the story seemed pretty hairbrained." The mayor then laughed deepily, and a spark of anger inside of Zelda's stomach began to ignite. However, she let the man go on. "When nobody believed his story except to be only made up, he stormed out of the village and to his house, then grabbed his gear, and left with Epona. My daughter, Ilia, told me that he was going to look for somebody named Midnight or some crazy name like that. She ran off crying, and for the whole year, she hasn't even come out of her room except to do a few chores for me around the village and sit alone by herself in Ordona's Spring. It was pretty hard on her, since she probably cared for Link a little more than the rest of us and she was the last person to see him before he left." Zelda blinked. "Where is she now...?" The princess asked. Bo shrugged. "I saw her leave for the spring about a half an hour ago. Maybe she's still there." The princess didn't say another word before heading off in that direction. The overweight man raised an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head, before Impa walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, but do you know where I could buy a slingshot?"

Zelda was lucky that Mayor Bo had been right. A young girl, about seventeen, sat in the Ordon Spring, looking up in the air all by herself. She wasn't happy, and she wasn't sad. A neutral expression was on her face, just staring up at the sun like she was waiting for something to happen. Zelda walked through the shallow waters, not caring that the tip of her dress would get wet. "Excuse me...?" She asked, not wanting to startle the girl. This had to be Ilia, the mayor's daughter. Ilia looked at Zelda with her big green eyes, not impressed. "If you're here to ask where the nearest hair salon is, we don't have that kind of pampering service here in Ordon. Go back to Castle Town for that kind of luxury." She snapped. The princess but her lip and knit her eyebrows. "I actually wanted to know if you could tell me anything about what Link did or said before he left Ordon." She then responded, calmly. Ilia sat up and raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to know what Link did? Why would you even be looking for him? He's a farmboy from here, and you're the Princess of Hyrule sitting on your throne and eating bonbons. You don't care about any of us here." There was that anger again, bubbling up to a searing boil. "Link has done more for me than you have ever imagined-" "Like what? Are you suddenly his girlfriend too? Did he kiss you before he left for his journey? Do you even know him?" Ilia responded hotly, now standing up. "You think that I'm going to tell you what happened before he left just because you're the princess? I don't have to obey every beck and call you make. You're selfish, pompous, and spoiled, and if you think that I'm going to tell you about Link, you're wrong because my best friend is only my business. I bet that you haven't even met him." Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but then kept it shut. "...I do not believe that I am the brat here." She muttered under her breath, then left the spring to go back to the village. In the distance, however, she could hear Ilia sobbing. Maybe it was best that Zelda did not come here at all.

"So he wasn't there, huh?" Impa asked as she and the princess clopped through Faron Woods. Zelda then shook her head as she rubbed her arms from the coolness of the forest. "No, and the only girl who knew the details about it thought that I stole away her boyfriend so she didn't even talk to me except when she called me selfish and a brat." "Well that's nice." The Sheikah responded. "So what are we going to do now?" She then asked. The brunette shook her head. "I honestly have no clue. Ralis and Darbus are in no positition to help; their tactics are entirely different and they can't even agree on one thing without denying it and then blaming the other for the major problem in the first place." She grumbled. Impa sighed and tried to lift the spirits of the princess with a warm smile. "We're going to be alright, don't worry. The only concern I have is keeping a certain best friend of mine out of harm's way."

Zelda looked at Impa and took a deep sigh. "I don't want you to get hurt, either, Impa. We've been friends since we were very small. It would devastate me if you were mortally wounded." Impa gave the princess a look then dismounted Konpanion. She then walked over to the princess (who also dismounted her horse) and knelt to the ground. "Zelda, I took the job of being your bodyguard just because you were my best friend. I'm tough, I'm a big girl, and I have no problem with keeping you out of harm's way." She then took Zelda's hand tightly into her grip, putting it near her face. She then looked up with a crimson gaze. "I, Impa of the Sheikah, the last of the race that protected the Royal Family, vow to protect Princess Zelda IV of Hyrule, even if it means giving my own life in place of hers. I shall never abandon Her Highness, and I will go to drastic measures if it ensures her safety. That is the pledge of the Princess of Hyrule's Bodyguard, and the duty of a Sheikah." With a gentle kiss on Zelda's knuckles as an act of loyalty, Impa stood up.

Zelda, on the verge of tears, hugged her best friend tightly. It would have been a sweet moment if it weren't for the arrow that whooshed past the princess' head.

_"And I find it kind of funny_

_I find it kind of sad_

_The dreams in which I'm dying_

_Are the best I've ever had_

_I find it hard to tell you_

_I find it hard to take_

_When people run in circles_

_It's a very very_

_Mad world_

_Mad world"_

_~Gary Jules, __**Mad World**_


	4. Chapter 3: If It Is To Protect You

Chapter 3: If It Is To Protect You Until My End Of Days

Out of nowhere, in a deadly fleet, arrows began aiming and firing at the princess and her boydguard. "It's an ambush! An assassination attempt!" Impa screamed, grabbing the princess' wrist and hauling her onto Konpanion. "W-what?!" Zelda exclaimed, holding onto the Sheikah's waist as she ushered her horse to quickly run forward. "Fucking Darukurura, turns out this is a pretty crafty enemy, huh?" Impa snapped to herself, taking out three throwing knives and aiming them at the direction the arrows had been coming from. Zelda barely dodged an arrow when Konpanion swerved to the left quickly.

"They must have been spying on us while we were in Ordon..." Zelda concluded, fearing for her life. She grabbed a knife and quickly threw it at an hour, a little surprised at her own accuracy with such a weapon. "We need to find shelter!" Impa shouted, looking back at the Hylian princess. Zelda's eyes slightly widened in confusion. "Why?!" She asked. The girl's red eyes seemed to shine in the intense rays of sunlight. "Because," She confidentily responded, urging the horse to go forward and jump over a fallen tree, "I have a plan." "A plan?! What-" The princess was cut off by a giant force ramming into Konpanion, knocking the horse out and sending the two girls flying.

Zelda hit the ground with a thud, now face down on the dirt. She spat the bits of earth that entered her mouth, coughing from the impact of the fall. "Zelda!" Impa screamed, standing up and running towards the Hylian. However, a large foot planted itself right next to Zelda's body, menacingly trying to crush the princess. The girl looked up in fear, then rolled to the side when she saw that she was being attacked by a massive and overweight Bokoblin. This Bokoblin was different from the rest that she had seen. It was at least ten feet tall, with the weight of two adult Gorons Darbus' side. It wasn't really a pleasant sight, since the thing only worn a loincloth and a few pieces of leather armor that barely covered up the flab that was its chest. The dirty white hair was tangled into thick dreadlocks that reached its knees, nearly flicking Zelda in the face. The biggest difference, however, was the color of this Bokoblin's skin. It was light shade of blue, not as dark and a bit more on the teal side than any other blin's, but along its neck and its arms, there was a maze-like pattern of black lines. She had seen this kind of pattern somewhere before, but with the situation she was in, she couldn't pinpoint where.

Zelda, conjuring up the magic that had been stored in her since birth, unleashed a flaming fireball up at the monster, praying to the goddesses in her head. From the impact of the burn, the blin stepped back in a stunned groan. With that, Zelda quickly stood up and raced towards Impa. "PRINCESS!" Impa exclaimed, fighting back at a Deku Baba that was planning on making her lunch. She slashed at it with her dagger, chopping the plant's head off then running to her best friend. "Watch out!" Zelda ducked to miss a nasty blow to her head of the blin's club, then was pulled forward by Impa's tan arms, muscled but nimble from years of training in all different kinds of combat. "The Forest Temple is up there!" Impa pointed out, gazing towards an entrance up the path they were currently laying on. "Follow me!" She grabbed the princess again and led her up the path, then straight into the darkness of the temple.

Impa was lucky she had a lantern on her, as she lit the few torches in the room. "The blin is slow." She said, sitting down. "We have enough time to go over what I have in mind." The intense red eyes of the last of the Sheikah bloodline stared at Zelda with a concerned type of care. Zelda herself gulped, sitting down on the mossy wooden floor of the temple. "I need you to give me your clothes." Impa then stated out of the blue. "Your dress, your crown, your boots, everything, you even need to cut off a portion of your hair for me." Zelda's eyes widened. "What?!" She exclaimed, leaning forward. "N-No! I know what you're thinking! I'm not going to let you parade around in my clothes and pretend to be me for the sake of my protection!" "Zelda." Impa sternly told her. "I need you to become Sheik for me." She explained. The princess then stiffened up. She hadn't heard that name in years.

During the era of the Hero of Time, with the Princess Zelda before her, in order to hide, the Seventh Sage disguised herself as a Sheikah simply named 'Sheik'. The alias had been passed down to this princess for her safety, and she knew how to transform into the ninja, but she didn't know how to undergo this change for a while. She wasn't Princess Zelda III, the Sage of Time. She was not as brave as that one, or, well, that's what she thought. Impa laid a gentle hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Please, Zel, we don't have much time." She pleaded. The princess looked into Impa's eyes, tears filling her own. "It is my duty to protect Hyrule myself, Impa. I can't risk you getting hurt." She nearly snapped. Impa then smiled at Zelda, although her eyes held a level of seriousness that Zelda herself had felt during the time when Zant threatened to destroy the people of Hyrule if Zelda had not chosen to surrender. "And it is my duty to protect you, Zelda, even if it means that you have to abandon the throne." She said, taking both of the princess' hands. The warmth didn't even calm down the brunette a tiny bit. "Do this for me. Just please. I'm asking you to be safe and be happy. You'll be free like you always wished, and you'll be out of harm's way. Ganondorf is gone, and no-one except you and me know the secret of Sheik. I'm begging you, Zelda, do this for me." Impa then calmly smiled at Zelda again, and this time, with tears rolling down her cheeks, the princess reluctantly nodded. "I will do it." She then rasped. "But only for you, Impa."

Zelda quickly discarded her clothes, boots, and crown, and when they hit the floor, Impa carefully put them on. The princess took one of Impa's daggers and placed it to the hair at the nape of her neck, then quickly ran it through, breaking off the chestnut strands. Impa, using ancient methods, quickly fastened a wig like it. Now here was the princess, in only her underwear, with her most trusted servant, looking like a full replica except for the slighty deeper skin tone and crimson eyes. Impa would be able to fix that, though. She always had a plan. "Now, Zelda." The Sheikah placed her hands onto Zelda's shoulders, wiping a stray tear off of her pale cheeks. "I need you to be brave. Channel Sheik, and become her like we always practiced." She smoothly said. Zelda took a deep breath, and cleared her mind. To use this type of magic, she had to focus on one thing and one thing only. She thought of transformation, and the blonde Sheikah she would have to become. She thought that she was going to have to do this for Impa, and soon, she suddenly felt a change. Her body became slightly more lithe, and she felt a stinging sensation hit her eyes, then subside. She looked to her side to see the brunette strands of hair turn to an icy blonde, as a bright purple light enveloped her and her only. The blue clothes that the Sheikah wore now covered her body, and once the light subsided, Princess Zelda was no more. She was now Sheik, one of the only two members of the Sheikah tribe left.

Impa smiled. "Please, be brave." She said, giving the now blonde girl a hug. "We'll meet sometime soon, trust me. I can escape. I know ways." Sheik looked at Impa as she let go, the latter stepped backward. "Now you need to escape through that crevice up in the ceiling." She instructed, pointing upwards to a faint ray of light coming from above. Sure enough, there was a crack enough for a teenage girl to slip through. "I can hear them coming." Sheik did as she was instructed, and jumped up upon one of the ledges. With this new transformation, she was much more flexible, and better at doing things with her body such as fighting and jumping. She watched from the top of her post as the giant blin stormed in, and as Impa stood her ground. As the blin prepared to swing his club, Sheik closed her eyes and ran out, fearing for her best friend's life.

Sheik ran through the dense woods at her maximum speed, probably for hours now, the tears streaming off of her face like two miniature rivers falling down a waterfall. The possibilites of what could be happening to Impa right now zoomed through her skull, clouding her mind with the darkest of thoughts. _I need to save her. _She thought, furrowing her brow. _She told me to be brave and be happy, and I can't do that without her here. _Sheik now had a new game plan, she stoped dead in her tracks and turned around, hearing the sounds of the blins and minions of the enemy behind her. As she looked, she saw an army of blins marching towards her, and when they spotted her, they seemed to perk up and arm their weapons. They were equipped with arrows and clubs, and looked ready to tear this blonde to shreds. The disguised princess was sick and tired of running. She wanted to help. She wanted to make a difference. Letting out a fierce battle cry, she charged and ran forward. The blins ran in her direction, and during the collision, Sheik put up a fight. She took out her chain whip and swung it around, taking down blin by blin by blin. Each one fell with a high pitched shriek and a small thud, and Sheik was the last one standing, with the dead carcasses around her. When she looked around, the area she was in she did not recognize as Faron Woods. It was much different, still being a wooded area, but darker and lesser monsters. Enough to scare her, though. She ignored the footsteps behind her, assuming they were just another small blin. However, the slashes that the thing made in her back and the blow with the large club on her head begged to differ.

Her vision faded as she landed on the ground, feeling the sensation of a coma sweeping over her. The last thing she caught in her line of blurring sight was the image of a tall figure running towards her, seeming to be outlined by blue...

_"You are the crown princess yet I'm your humble servant_

_Destinies jested upon, we're a mirror now broken_

_If it is to protect you until my end of days_

_The innocence I have left, in your name it shall be slain"_

_~Len Kagamine, __**Servant of Evil**_


	5. Chapter 4: I'm Not Worth Your Time

Chapter 4: I'm Not Worth Your Time

Sheik's body ached like she had been tossed around in the merciless ocean for a enitre decade. She didn't know what had hit her, a club, a sword, or maybe even an arrow, but all she remembered was the sound of heavy footsteps and the faint image of a figure outlined in blue. Luckily, and miraculously, however, her headwear was still intact and unmoved. It was only her back and arms that had been covered up in bandages. It must have been some kind of sword, because her clothes were ripped up by some kind of blade. Her crimson eyes then widened in a frightened realization. _Impa... _Somewhere, at this very moment, her best friend and bodyguard was somewhere, posing as Princess Zelda IV, either captured, or avoiding assassination attempts. The thought terrified the blonde.

Her mind was taken off said thought when the door opened, revealing a petite brunette girl with eyes that reminded the Sheikah of Lake Hylia. This new person's orbs widened with a gleeful sparkle. "You're awake!" She exclaimed, rushing to Sheik and looking over her weak form. The blonde sat up, rubbing her cranium due to the splitting headache that seemed to taunt her for being stupid enough to be knocked unconscious in the first place. She remained quiet, only looking back up at the girl. This caused the girl to slightly pout. "Can you understand me?" She then asked, slightly disappointed. Sheik then nodded. "Are you mute?" She shook her head. She nodded when the girl asked if she was simply just quiet. The girl smiled. "Oh, like Ilyana!" The Hylian remained all the more confused about everything. "I'm Mist." The brunette responded, helping Sheik to her feet. "...Sheik." She finally spoke, red eyes studying everything around her. "Where am I?" Mist's calm smile curled and widened into an excited grin. "You're in an Infirmary Tent of our camp!" She explained. Sheik raised an eyebrow, asking, "Our?" "Yeah, 'our' meaning the Greil Mercenaries'!" Mist then walked over to the tent's entrace and opened up the flap, revealing a large campsite.

Tents ranging from big to small spread all over a large clearing in a vast forest. Some were decorated with personalized blankets or just little trinkets, making them stick out. Sheik took a wobbly step towards the flap to get a better glimpse of this new area. Outside were a few people; she counted about six. A lavender haired girl was talking to a young man with a sword at his side and straight cerulean colored hair that was cut about an inch above his shoulders. Two men and a boy, all with green hair, stood a little off to the side, the men patting the boy on the back as he shot an arrow up into the sky. Alone, all by herself, was another girl, practicing around with a sword on some kind of dummy. They all seemed to be going about normal business,

"Where is this campsite...?" She then asked, turning her head back to Mist. Mist then shrugged. "Crimea. Why?" She responded. The Sheikah's eyes saddened, thinking that she had been in Termina or so. "Oh." She said, flatly. "I see." Her hand ran over her forehead in frustration as she stared at the ground. "I need to get back to Hyrule..." Sheik muttered quietly to herself. Curses in Hylian went through her mind like a stampede of rolling Gorons. The brunette healer then looked up. "You're from Hyrule?" She asked. The blonde then nodded cautiously, in a way begging Mist to go on about the subject. "Ike has heard about that place so many times... We thought that it didn't exist, as it wasn't in Tellius. We only heard stories and myths about it, and I guess we just assumed it was only a fairy tale..." Sheik's crimson eyes narrowed. "No, Hyrule is too real." She harshly snapped, angered that somebody would dare think that her very home as non-existant, just a mere tale of legend. "It's the most beautiful land I have ever seen." Mist, slightly taken aback from the sudden outburst, sighed, replying, "I'm sorry... How far is it from here?" Sheik looked back out the flap in a faraway gaze. She held back the tears in her eyes at the thought of her even being away from her home. "I have honestly no clue." She finally answered. An awkward silence filled the tent until Sheik furrowed her brow. "I need to get back there _now_." She resolutely growled. She then started to stagger out of the tent and dead to the exit of the camp in an awkward march. Mist's eyes widened in both shock and concern. "W-Wait!" She exclaimed, following after the Sheikah.

Sheik's eyes were fixated on only the scene in front of her. She kept walking, ignoring the stares of the other campers. She heard Mist running after her, taking short and quick breaths. "B-But you're still wounded!" The girl protested. "If you exert yourself too much, the wounds could reopen again!" "I'll be fine." The Sheikah curtly responded. She didn't stop walking. "M-Miss Sheik!" Mist pleaded. "You can't protect yourself out there!" Sheik gave her an 'are you kidding me' look, still not stopping her stride. Mist bit her lip, but then her eyes widened. "What?" The blonde asked, looking back but still walking. "LOOK OUT!" "Wh-"

WHAM!

Too late.

She had slammed into something big, something big and muscular. Now she laid sprawled out on the mossy forest floor, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. It tasted lovely. _I should not have to be going through this because my country is in trouble. I should be with Impa, and we should be figuring out a solution to this mess. _"So she's awake, huh, Mist?" A teenaged male's voice asked. "Yup." Mist responded, clutching her staff. Sheik then flipped over onto her back to see the brunette and another figure looming over her, AKA the big and muscular thing she had knocked into a few moments ago.

It was a guy, of course. The voice and body structure had already proven that. He was tall, extremely tall, or maybe just tall, because Sheik was still sitting on the ground like a fool. Scruffy navy hair fell in front of his face, even though he wore a dark green bandana. He was about two heads taller than Mist, maybe two and a half, and wore a cerulean cape along with leather armor along his chest and blue, metal armor on his left shoulder. Needless to say, he looked like he wasn't a good person to try to mug in a dark alley. "Are you alright?" He asked, reaching out a hand. Sheik huffed, unimpressed. "Just fine." She snapped, standing up on her own. Mist smiled awkwardly. "Sheik, this is my older brother, Ike." She introduced. "He's the one who rescued you."

"Welcome." The bluenette told her with a kind smile, warmth in his eyes. She looked at Ike, then the hand. Ike. Hand. Ike. Hand. Sheik hesitantly shook it, but was quick to end the gesture. "Thanks, but I have to be going. My friends and country need me." She responded. With that, she began to walk off. She looked rather stoic, but underneath her silver scarf, she hid a smile. "Oh, no, no, no." She heard the male say to her, and suddenly, she was pulled back by such force that she had assumed was Ike's arm. "You are staying here." When the Sheikah looked at Ike's face again, he was now smirking. Sheik furrowed her brow. "Didn't you just hear me?" She growled. "I'm important to my land!" Ike chuckled for whatever reason, all the more making the Hylian princess in diguise annoyed with him. "And your country is?" Before the blonde could reply, Mist cut in as she pulled her brother's arm with, "Hyrule, Ike. She lives in Hyrule." The words were somewhat gleeful. A pair of blue eyes widened, locking gazes with Sheik's single red one. "Is...Is it true?" The mercenary asked. "...Yeah, but if I don't get there soon, it might not be Hyrule anymore." She said.

Ike seemed to be at a loss of words as he eyed the female with a skeptical glance. "And how do I know that you're not lying? Any Tom, Dick, or Larry could show up, claiming that they're from Hyrule. You could be a spy." "A spy for what?!" Sheik exclaimed, appalled. Now the annoyance was switching into anger. "The Sheikah always tell the truth. It has been our code since ancient times." Her tone was quiet as she tried to calm her nerves. Another smirk plastered itself onto Ike's face. "Then let's put that to the test."

She was put in a dark tent with only a single lantern hanging above her. She sat on the side of the table closest to the entrance, and was completely alone. She could have just ran out now, but in time the mercenaries would have caught up with her and, insisting that she was a spy, would have put her in whatever jail that was in this Crimean place. Ike had said that her interrogator might take a few minutes to get ready, so she had to wait. Although, she didn't expect to have to wait _this _long.

Sheik had to admit, this wasn't as boring as doing most duties as the Hylian monarch. It was soothing, quiet, and if you looked past the semi-creepy setting, a tad peaceful. Although, the blonde would have enjoyed a little bit of sound to make her a little less paranoid about being questioned like a mad criminal. That gave her a thought. She took out a small object that looked like a broken gold ring. When it was in the open air, however, it changed into a beautiful handheld harp. She smiled to herself. At least she could play some music to calm herself down. Her fingers felt the nostalgic feeling of the strings as she plucked each one. This was the Goddess' Harp, the ancient instrument passed down from her first incarnation, the goddess, Hylia. A few songs she knew popped into her mind, but she decided to play a song that she knew from her great grandmother, the Princess Zelda before her and the third of the bloodline.

_ "Day to night, dark to light, fall the sands of time. Let the years, like the gears, of a clock unwind. In your mind, walk through time, back to better days. Memories, like a dream, wash your tears away. Like a star in the sky, darkness can't reach you. Like the night joy is light, 'til the new dawn. Cast away your old face, full of gloom and spite. With this mask I will ask, to borrow your light!"_

Out of nowhere, she heard a clapping noise. When Sheik turned around, she saw Ike staring at her in complete awe. "Nice." He finally complimented. "And what was that called?" "The Song of Healing." She then responded, playing a few stray strings out of her own boredom. "Huh." Ike simply said, then sitting down. "Very pretty. Now, I think you know what we brought you here for." The blonde girl cocked an eyebrow. "Where's my interrogator?" She quickly asked, avoiding the male's comment. The bluenette teen chuckled. "Right here." He answered, leaning forward. The Sheikah held back a growl. She really was getting pissed at this guy.

"So..." Ike began. "Where you from?" Sheik glared at him. "Hyrule." "Are you a beorc or a laguz?" "Neither, whatever those things are. I am the last surving member of the Sheikah clan." Ike raised an eyebrow. "And what do they do?" He asked, a tiny bit skeptical of her. "They are the protectors of the Hylian Royal Family." The blonde stated matter-of-factly. She hid another smirk under her scarf, like she was telling Ike just what he was getting himself into. The bluenette nodded, looking rather impressed. He then leaned forward, even close than before. "What are you hiding behind that scarf?" He asked, now with a much more serious tone. Intense blue eyes stared into ones the color of blood. "I am not hiding anything." She lied, contradicting the timeless law of the Sheikah to always tell the truth and only the truth, or one would end up with a fate as gruesome as Bongo Bongo's. But then again, this was for her and Hyrule's protection, and she was not a true Sheikah.

"Then why won't you let me see your face?" Ike asked, his voice softening. Sheik tried to ponder where he was getting at. With the way he replied to her, it seemed like his words could have had a different meaning than the one he was supposedly showing her. However, she was getting quite uncomfortable with her nose only about two inches away from the mercenary's. "...It is not very wise to flirt with the person that you are suspecting of being a spy, sir." She finally answered. Ike's eyes twinkled and he leaned back.

"Sing to me again." He told her out of the blue. "I'd like to hear your voice." Sheik was baffled by this request, but she did comply. She took out the Goddess' Harp, and began to play the song that she had loved ever since she was younger, the lullaby she had always cherished.

_"Please my dear, wash away your fear. stay with me and wipe your tears. Please don't cry, it will be alright, I'll never leave you. Even if the night is cold, even if the times are old, our hearts will never separate..."_

Ike suddenly smiled. "Your voice isn't as much perfect as it is breathy and refreshing." He told her. Sheik put away her sacred harp and sighed. "I guess that is a compliment?" She inqured, somewhat tired. Ike shrugged and stood up. "Take it as you want." And he walked out without another word. The Hylian remained flabbergasted. Thank the Goddesses that she had a chance of getting away from that guy as soon as possible.

_"Did you scream enough to make her cry?_  
_It's a turnaround, turnaround_

_Baby don't return to me_

_If you think_

_That I'm not worth your time_

_She's a lady_

_And ladies_

_Shouldn't be messed with_

_She's a lady_

_And ladies_

_Shouldn't be messed with"_

_~Forever The Sickest Kids, __**She's A Lady**_

**A/N: I take no credit for the lyrics of the Song of Healing. Those were done by ColdFlameZero on DeviantART. I DID, however, write the lyrics for Zelda's lullaby. If you plan to use them, credit me. **


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